Ray Longo has been Weidman?s coach for the majority of the fighters career and he admits that the loss is a tough one for Weidman to accept.
?It was a tough one to swallow,? Longo said on the Anik & Florian podcast. ?I felt really confident after talking to him in between the second and the third round that we were on our way to a victory. those things that blindside you like that are tough. But first and foremost, hats off to Jacare. Class act. He dug down deep. He wasn?t gonna get that decision and he found a way to win. . . Man, you zig when you should?ve zagged and that?s what happens. MMA is an unforgiving sport. I tell you, this is pretty big setback, because with a win over Jacare he was looking good. He already had beat Gastelum and I think that?s always gonna be a great matchup for Chris. Whittaker would have been the tougher fight but I actually think Gastelum is gonna beat Whittaker so I think he was looking good.?
Weidman has won just one of his last five under the UFC banner and he hasn?t picked up a victory in well over a year.
Longo even suggests that Weidman stop competing at middleweight and move up a weight class to light heavyweight.
?Now he?s got a couple of things to decide,? Longo said. ?A couple of people mention maybe moving up to 205. I really did think the weight cut went really well but who knows? The more you get the weight-cut down and your brain?s not dehydrated. The brain is the last place to get the fluid when you rehydrate, so again, maybe 205?s a better fit because I don?t see this ever happening in the gym. Ever. . . So maybe 205 might be a place where he comes in stronger, more coherent, all those things.?
The longtime middleweight has yet to announce any future moves, but he has spent his entire UFC career competing at 185 pounds.